


Essence of Eden

by beekeepercain



Series: In Fewer Words [15]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Animals, Cats, Crack and Angst, Episode: s09e18 Meta Fiction, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-12
Updated: 2014-05-12
Packaged: 2018-01-24 10:29:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1601612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beekeepercain/pseuds/beekeepercain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"For Heaven’s sake, Gadreel! Get it out of my sight, it’s shedding fur on the carpets."</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Essence of Eden

**Author's Note:**

> I've been obnoxiously miserable today. It's unfair, really. So things happened.
> 
> My initial readers couldn't decide any more than I could whether this is sad or cute, so I'm tagging neither and leaving you on your own on that matter. I should probably write about someone else than Gadreel for a change, too, it's not like I have unfinished projects or anything. But Gadreel though.

* * *

 

"Sir? Gadreel is here."

Metatron raised his head from the papers and examined both the intruder and the sentry he’d called for behind her. Gadreel stepped past his guide and into the dusty lair, feeling as much as hearing the third angel leave with hurried steps down the corridor. The plastic behind the window was moving in a breeze - the outside world barely penetrated it to reach the room that always bathed in the dim glow of the golden lamps instead of the clear day’s natural light.

"So, Gadreel. How did the mission go?"

A cold feeling slid down the guardian’s throat and for a moment he felt much filthier than he’d done since leaving that building hours ago.  
"Many did not accept your offer," he said in a suffocated voice, memory of the scene like a ghost in front of him.  
He could recall the burnt wings like they were painted on him and not upon a floor he’d barely walked across, and he smelled the ozone, the blazed grace in the air around him even here, miles and miles from where it yet had to linger as thickly as when he’d turned his back on the massacre.

"And you did as I commanded, didn’t you?"

"I left none standing."

For the first time in what seemed to be the whole time Gadreel had worked for Metatron, the scribe appeared to be about to compliment him for his work, but the very first syllable of the words got caught in his mouth and left it open as the intended sentence died to make room for a complaint.  
"For Heaven’s sake, Gadreel! You’ve done it again. How many times have I told you to make sure you are not followed? I can’t work like this. Get it out of my sight, it’s shedding fur on the carpets."

The initial confusion fell apart at the mention of fur, and by the time his vessel was only in the process of turning to look, Gadreel already knew what he was about to see. A heavy sigh escaped him as he knelt down and picked up the grey cat. Its tangled fur was still soft and the faint meow it let out at contact toned down to quiet purring as the angel pressed it against his chest and secured its thin body in his grip.

"Get rid of it. And when you’re done, paint the Horn at our next target. No need to delay."

"Understood."  
Gadreel was about to leave when Metatron spoke again.

"Why do they keep following you in the first place? Yesterday it was two stray dogs and today it’s a cat, the week before it was a bird of paradise. What is  _wrong_  with you?”

The sentry’s lips turned to a smile as his fingers slipped behind the cat’s ear, stroking at the back of it gently but absently.  
"They sense the essence of Eden in me. It is something I do not control."

"Do they know you’re the damn guy who’s responsible for their suffering?"

It was a blessing that Gadreel's back was already turned towards Metatron so that the scribe could not see how well aimed the blow had been.  
"No," he replied in a casual, light tone, "They only know that there was a time when I kept them safe, so they come to me now as their ancestors came to me before. I’d go now, if you have no further questions."

"Dismissed."


End file.
